Greetings from the 2010 Indiana Annual Conference!

Highlights from Friday, June 11

Teaching Session:

In the final teaching session of the 2010 Indiana Annual Conference, Bishop Robert Schnase discussed his newest book, Five Practices of Fruitful Living.  He looked at the way that the 5 Practices of Fruitful Congregations can be applied to our individual spiritual and devotional lives.  He noted that fruitful congregations are made up of fruitful disciples and that fruitful disciples are created and formed by fruitful congregations.  He also reminded us that both the early Church and the early Methodists were devoted to habitual practices of acts of faith (like prayer, service, worship, accountability) that helped individual believers to have the "mind of Christ" within them.  What habitual practices of faith do you engage in so that your life might bear fruit?

Plenary Sessions:

The bulk of the day today was devoted to plenary sessions wherein the business of the Indiana United Methodist Church was conducted.  In the morning session, the Board of Ordained Ministry presented the 22 candidates for ordination, and our Bishop, Michael Coyner, asked them the historical questions that John Wesley asked of those presenting themselves for ordination.  The Board of Ordained Ministry also recognized the service of those men and women who are retiring from ordained ministry .  The 58 retirees together provided 1, 540 years of service to the United Methodist Church.  The "Conference Cane," which dates to the mid-19th century was presented to the oldest retired minister living in Indiana.

In the afternoon session, the 14 candidates for commissioning were presented by the Board of Ordained Ministry.  These candidates will serve as provisional members for at least three years before seeking approval for ordination.  Also in the afternoon, the Connectional Ministries team presented videos and testimonies about the work of the Indiana United Methodist Church.  Ministries such as UM Men, UM Women, Lay Speaking, Mission, Youth and Young Adult, Disaster Response and many more all fall under the umbrella of the Connectional Ministries team, which serves as a source of information and resources to local churches.  This team also presented information about church-affiliated institutions (e.g., hospitals, colleges, nursing homes) and General Agencies of our denomination.  The United Methodist Church is a connectional church, which means that none of our ministries happen in isolation.  We are joined with other United Methodists in Indianapolis, Indiana, our nation and our world as together we seek "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

Worship Service:

Tonight was the Service of Remembrance and Celebration of Resurrection.  We celebrated the lives and ministries of the 35 clergy and 42 clergy spouses who died in the past year.  We were reminded of the promise of eternal life that we have in Jesus when we celebrated Communion together.  It was a powerful experience to share Communion with more than 2,000 brothers and sisters and then lift our hearts and voices together in singing "Because He Lives."  

Highlights from Thursday, June 10

Teaching Sessions:

Bishop Robert Schnase led the teaching sessions on The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.  The mission of the United Methodist Church is "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."  The 5 Practices Bishop Schnase identified are how we fulfill that mission.  The 5 Practices are:

• Radical Hospitality:  God sought us out and drew us into relationship.  How do we invite others into a relationship with Christ and with the church?  How do we seek out the lost and the lonely?  How do we welcome the stranger?
• Passionate Worship:  We connect to God through worship.  How does God re-form and transform us through worship?  Do we enter worship anticipating that God will do something in that time and place?
• Intentional Faith Development:  We can't learn faith on our own.  How do we learn in community?  How do we help each other grow in the knowledge and love of Jesus?
• Risk-taking Mission and Serv ice:  As we learn about God, God creates in us a sense that we are called to serve others, whether or not those we serve ever become a part of our church.  Where do we go in service that we would never be able to go without Jesus?
• Extravagant Generosity:  All that we have and are belongs to God.  Do we trust God's promises when it comes to our money?  Do we believe that God will provide when we respond to God's call in faith?

Bishop Schnase also asked us to reflect on our congregational and personal systems.  By systems, he meant "how things really get done."  As a congregation, what is our system for seeking and reaching people who are not in relationship with God?  What is our system for inviting, welcoming and nurturing those people into a relationship with God?  What are our personal systems as individual disciples for seeking, reaching, inviting, welcoming and nurturing?  Each of us -- as individuals and as a congregation -- are charged by Jesus to go into the world and make disciples.

Plenary Session:

The business of the Indiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is conducted during the plenary sessions.  In the first plenary session, we heard a report from the Council on Finance and Administration (CF&A) and from the Church Development team.  The CF&A spoke about tithing, reminding us that we are to give to God from the "first fruits of our labor," not from what's left over after we've used everything else.  The Church Development team introduced their Fruitful Congregations program; Chapel Hill's Church Council committees participated in a one-day Fruitful Congregations program earlier this year.  During the Church Development team's presentation, we celebrated the chartering of 2 new United Methodist churches that began as off-site congregations of established UM churches.  One of these new churches began in a local movie theater (and quickly outgrew that space), and the other began above a bar -- what an inspiring example of seeking "unchurched" people where they are!

Laity Session:

The Laity Session is a time for laity to celebrate ministry, enjoy fellowship, and worship God while the clergy delegates attend their own session.  This year's highlight for the Chapel Hill UMC contingent was undoubtedly when Carolyn Olivier was honored with the Bread and Basin Award!  This award is given each year to Indiana lay people who have given extraordinary mission service on a local, national or international level.  Carolyn was recognized for her tireless efforts with the Haiti Medical Mission teams and with Stephen Ministry.  Her servant heart was on display when she received the award, for she glorified God by testifying to the power of prayer to overcome obstacles to mission.  Congratulations, Carolyn!